“It wasn’tharassing,” I mumbled. “He said I’d bedead! That’s a bit more serious than harassing, don’t you think?”
It had been the longest day of my life. I’d been up since the asscrack of dawn and felt like a week’s worth of time had passed in what was in reality about twelve hours. But in the course of one day, we’d somehow stumbled upon historical proof that Smith was a famous pirate captain, that he might have salvaged a long-lost sunken treasure now worth a cool mil, and had a possibly intimate and more likely heartbreaking relationship with one Captain Edward Rogers.
Bob Ricci wanted me fired for doing my job, Adam had an awkward crush on me, we’d discovered the remains of who was almost most certainly Captain Smith after their mysterious disappearance from the closet, and Josh Moore was a pretty decent candidate for murderer of the week, in my opinion. We still didn’t know exactly what Cassidy had been killed over, but I was convinced it was a treasure map of some sort. Of course, I wasn’t allowed in the Smith Home to confirm if any artifactshadbeen stolen and find where the map could potentially lead us!
I’d have loved a stiff drink or three about then, but Jun wouldn’t have approved of mixing pills and liquor.
“That’s why Tillman is on top of it,” Jun said. He let go of my hand and touched my lower back, making me go all weak in the knees. “And it’s why you’re not leaving my sight and we’re officially dropping this little Easter egg hunt we’ve been on.”
“We’ve nearly figured it all out,” I said as I came to a stop and looked up at him.
“Figuredwhatout exactly?”
“Well, I—you can’t deny the story unfolding about Smith is quite fascinating.”
“Sure. It’s interesting,” Jun agreed. “But the man’s been dead for nearly a hundred and fifty years. You’re still alive, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“You know, if I could get into the house, we’d be able to narrow this down.”
“The treasure map?” Jun questioned. He glanced off to his left and led me to a merchant’s jewelry stand.
“We both know something had to have been stolen from the captain’s study,” I replied, following him. “The facts we’ve uncovered tell me that Jack…wasa real pirate, and he probably met a terrible fate—considering Smith was inside the walls of his own home.”
“We don’t know those remains are Smith’s yet,” Jun said. “And that doesn’t prove who killed Cassidy.”
The woman running the stand glanced between the two of us but decided it was best to not say anything. Jun leaned over to examine the goodies.
I kept talking, despite his obvious attempt to sidetrack me. “No, but it proves the likelihood of the treasure being real. And if we confirm that something is missing, I bet it’ll lead us to the killer trying to dig up wherever Smith—er—Jack hid the fortune.”
Jun picked up a colorful ring. “I think the number-one priority is to let Tillman track this person via your phone. It’ll likely get faster results than running all over the island, looking for buried Spanish silver.”
Of course, Jun was right.
“That’s handmade,” the merchant finally said.
Jun turned the ring over a few times. “Very impressive.” He offered it to me. “Like it?”
I perked up as he dropped it into my palm. It was an octopus tentacle that wrapped around several times and was painted with a shimmery rainbow motif. “It’s so cute!”
“How much?” Jun asked the woman.
“Sixty dollars.”
Craaaap. Pretty and pricy.
I sighed and handed it back over to Jun, but he shook his head and took out his wallet. “Wait, Jun, you don’t—”
“Do you want it?” he asked, staring down.
“Well… yeah, but—”
He just nodded and opened his wallet to pay the woman. “Thank you.”
She smiled. “It’s one of a kind.”
“So is he,” Jun said, petting the back of my head briefly. “Come on, Indy.”
“You didn’t have to buy this,” I said as we started walking again.
